Bird Meat Storage

M

MOBirds

Member
Hey Guys,
Taking a trip to SD next week and plan to be hunting for over a week, staying in a hotel, and not sure if we'll have access to a freezer. Thinking positive, we hope to have birds down early in the trip and I was curious how guys that hunt more than a few days keep the meat from spoil? Do hotels normally have an option to freeze birds? Sorry if this is a basic question, I've never hunted SD and my Kansas trips were only a couple to a few days in a row and it's been cold enough I didn't worry about it or had access to a freezer.
 
I hunted last year for 5 days. Averaged about 42 highs, 20 lows. I cleaned them and put them one each in a gallon freezer bag and left them outside in the back of the truck in an ice chest. Drained water once a day and added more ice to the top. 15 is about all that would fit. Gave them a good cleaning and cut off the wing when at home. They did fine. Took them to a local restaurant and they seasoned them and smoked them for me. By the time I got back home, I only had 3 for myself. Sure were good. Had to take care of my local hunting connections.
 
Just clean them good, put them in bags, and put them in your ice chest. You'll be fine. We just returned from a 9 day trip. Processed them for the freezer when we got home and everything was fine.
 
check around the area you are hunting. Sometimes you can find a commercial freezer locker that you can have your birds cleaned and stored till you leave.
 
Remember the number one cause of spoilage (and freezer burn) is exposure to air. Sandwich baggies work great for holding breastsections. I put one in a sandwich bag, put that sandwich bag in another (squeeze out the air), then wrap that in Glad kling wrap. Keep em cool and you be just fine and won't have freezer burn even months later.
 
Thanks guys, greatly appreciate it. Very much looking forward to hunting SD for the first time!
 
freezing birds

every motel I have stayed in in SD will freeze birds for you till you leave, if not keeping them on good ice will work just fine. Keep some proof of sex (leg,one wing or head and neck, I think) and only two birds to a bag I think to be legal.
 
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